Project 52 by Ron Atkinson <ronno13>

[ronno13]

As I take pictures every couple of days I thought of digging through my files to go back to week 1, but on after thoughts i decided not to and to start my 52 from today as I will then be looking for images for this thread.

My first image was taken last Friday morning when I travelled 1hr15mins to the beach for a sunrise. No sunrise but found a willing model exercising.



Nikon D50, 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens at 20mm, 1/50sec @ f3.8, 1600ISO, treated noise with Topaz Denoise, added more contrast in the sky with PS5.

[Wendy Stanford]

Welcome Ron,
Nicely composed image with the model giving perspective, great looking hole, could do alot with that using it as a frame.
although no sunrise the cloud formations look interesting,
looking forward to more shots

[Donald]

Congratulations on launching your Project 52, Ron. The project has produced some amazing pieces of work from people and really stretched folk in terms of their development, which is great.

As Wendy has suggested, this is well put together image. For example, try and envisage it without the person and it just doesn't work. Picture it with woman and not the whole and it's just an ordinary sort of picture.

So, seeing the picture that was there to be made was the first bit of skill in the whole process.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Ron,

An inspired composition without doubt, not something I'd have shot - I'd be too shy to ask a model.

Well done on a good start, I have already put a link to your thread from the main index.

I'd be tempted to simplify the composition and remove a few of the 'little extras' with a clone brush, but nothing major, just the odd coaches, building, chimney and scuffed sand on left - but that'll only contribute a few percent to a good image.

Cheers,

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Welcome to Project 52 Ron and a great way to start. I love the perspective and elements you've managed to capture. As Dave mentioned, some elements in your shot could be touched up a little and I might be inclined to play with the exposure just a touch to see what it looks like with a bit more but you've set the bar high. Look forward to seeing more of your photos.

[Teton Chuck]

Ron, welcome to Project 52. You have a very nice first image, and I look forward to your posts in the future.

[ronno13]

Hi again, Thanks for your comments and wishes, I have now had a little time to browse a couple or you members images, and WOW, so much to see and appreciate, I'll never get to comment on all your images, too good and too many, but very refreshing.

I have taken your comments onboard and decided to re-submit an edited version after doing some housework on it. Here's the result.

[Donald]

That is a very good clean-up job, Ron.

(open in the lightbox and use the left and right arrows to flick between the two.)

[ronno13]

"Dreaming", I took the original image on Central Railway station here in Sydney, at the time, however, I was thinking about the Maldives, and decided to create my daughter-in-law thinking about getting out of the gloom of the city.
I am wondeing if I have done too much, would it have been better if she had 'drawn' the curtain from one side only rather than parting it in the middle??

[Goldcoastgolfer]

That is a very good clean-up job, Ron.

(open in the lightbox and use the left and right arrows to flick between the two.)

How cool is that - you can actually see the cleaned up elements disappearing! Great job Ron.

On your second photo- I love it. It looks fantastic. I think "drawing the curtains" from both sides works better while your daughter in law has her back turned to us. If she were doing a side on profile one "curtain" would probably work better but given the symmetric nature of your composition, both is definitely the right way to go in my view.

Two minor things stand out for me - the train in the bottom right looks too abnormal without any of it looking normal being so close to the warp. I think the photo might look better without it. There's also a black trapezoidal shape in the top right that's also drawing my eye a bit which I think is a roof line - for some reason it's drawing my eye a bit. Just looking at the vertical posts in the photo I have a feeling that the image could use a little bit of a counterclockwise rotation as well - although it's hard to tell with the curtains being drawn

Great idea... you realise the rest of us will be thinking about the Maldives now!

[ronno13]

Thanks for your comments Mal. Not much nicer place to think about other than the Maldives.

[ronno13]

Week 3
This is the result of that question "What do you do on a rainy day"

[juliac]

Wow an amazing photo. It is a shame about the shadow underneath the bottom left hand and the plug.May I ask how you get the effects in both photos. Has the technique got a name. Lovely photos.

[FrankMi]

This is the result of that question "What do you do on a rainy day"

Amazing indeed!

My surprise is not that there's a shadow under the left hand but rather why there's no matching shadow under the right hand.

[ronno13]

Firstly, the "Dreaming" image is made up with three main images, 1. the beach scene from the Maldives, 2 image taken on Central Railway station in Sydney, and 3. my daughter-in-law photographed at home against a plain wall. I then divided the station shot into two, then had all elements on one image as layers. Working on one of the station layers I 'liquified' (Under Filters) and slowly pushed the edge in the required amount. Then repeated it the same on the second station layer.Then using the move tool I placed them into their position. I probably used a layer mash to remove unwanted image areas.
With "Down the gurgler" I take your comments about the shaddow/s, I'll correct it and put up the corrections later, but I did just overlook them. Here I started with the sunset and I took a photo of the sink in the bathroom with my hand holding the plug. I then photographed a framed tapestry (to get the frame), next was a photo of my hand holding the bottom of the tapestry. I use Topaz ReMask to get the frame and also to cut out my hand. I duplicated the hand and flipped and rotated it.then putting all the elements on the one image as layers I moved them to their position.I used the layer mask to cut a path through the frame after which I flattened the image, selected all and then liduified the image.
Then i just pulled the pixels of the image to 'pour' through the opening in the frame.
I hope that help you.

[juliac]

I will give it a try. I really like the effect

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Another great piece of work Ron. I'm looking forward to seeing what you put up next.

[ronno13]

I took out the shadow, easier than puttinf in other shadows, would have to do both hands and also the frame.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

That one looks a little better balanced now. However the lighting - white balance and brightness I think on the hand on the left is different to the hands on the right. It might be worth tweaking that a little too.

[ronno13]

My how time flies, This shot I tried to give it an eerie spooky feeling. The shot was taken on a clear blue sky at about10.00am. I used Topaz B&W Effects and Topaz Detail.